Device for gas filled luminous tube systems



J y 3 J. E. GROSS 1,966,120

DEVICE FOR GAS FILLED LUMINOUS TUBE SYSTEMS Filed April 21, 1931 /.1'g".1. M L

l3 l6 /7 /2 l7 /7 8 7 -9 llll] ll/l/ll [ll/l 71/1!!! ////l m l I I I) l l INVENTOR Jseph 5 Gross.

ATTORNEY Patented July 10, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DEVICE FOR GAS FILLED LUL IINOUS TUBE SYSTEMS I Joseph E. Gross, Snnbury, Pa.

Application April 21, 1931, Serial No. 531,679

2 Claims.

in connection with such tubes.

' 2 comprises an elongated, sealed glass envelope One object of my invention is to provide (for efiecting a parallel circuit around anyone or "more of a series of tubes which may become defective in operation and thereby maintain the ductors 11 and 12 that energy will flow through remaining tubes of the series in service.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for preventing luminous tube failures in a sign causedby high potential between the tubes and the sign body when one of the tubes becomes defective, and for preventing damage to the transformer associated with the sign, when a tube fails.

A further object of my invention is to provide means for quickly and accurately determining the faulty member when one of a plurality of luminous tubes in a sign or other combination breaks down in service.

It 1318180 an objectv of my invention to provide an automatic cut-out that shall be simple and inexpensive to manufacture, and which shall be certain and eifective in operation when employed in connection with gas filled luminous tubes operated in high voltage circuits.

Other objects of my invention will, in part, be obvious and in part, appear hereinafter. For a better understanding of my invention, reference maybe had to the accompanying drawing illustrating one of the various forms my invention may take, in which],

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a plurality of gas filled luminous tubes disposed" in a sign and an energizing circuit therefor, embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a view, in side elevation, of one of the automatic cub-outs shown in the circuit disclosed in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a view in cross section of the automatic cut-out shown in Fig. 2, with the contact members disposed in circuit-closing position.

Referring morev particularly to the drawing, 1.

have illustrated .a sign structurehaving a body 1, in which a plurality of gas'fllled luminous tubes 2, 3 and 4 are mounted. The luminous tube 5 5, which may be constructed in the form, of a i f suitable letter, and which is exhausted or air and gases to a predetermined valueand then filled with a monatomic gas, such as neon, argon or 'rheglasseuvelopetisprovidedwithenlarsed (Cl- ,200118l end portions 6 and 7, in which are disposed, respectively, electrodes 8 and 9 which are connected by a of terminals 11 and 12 to a pair of conductors 13 and 14 that lead to a suitable source of high potential electrical energy, such as the 60 secondary circuit of a transformer 15. Each of the luminous tubes 3 and 4 is similar to the tube 2. Thetubes are so connected in series with each other in thecircuit formed by the conthem successively. I

Heretofore when one or more of a plurality of luminous tubes disposed in series in an advertising sign or a signal device has broken or otherwise failed in operation, the tubes remaining in operation were liable to be damaged by reason of the high Potential between them and the sign body, and the transformer was also liable to fail by reason of the abnormal stresses to which it is then subjected.

It is also very important to maintain the signs of signal devices in service, even though some .of the tubes fail or break down, thereby preventing the loss of valuable advertising or causing dangerous conditions by the failure of the signal devices.

Therefore, in order to prevent any damage to the remaining good tubes, or to the transformer,

when a tube breaks or fails in operation, I proby' crimping its edge inwardly into a groove 21 in the porcelain.

Upon the opposite end of the porcelain tube is firmly mounted a cap 22 of a suitable conducting material, which is held in position thereon. by crimping its edge inwardly into a groove 24 in the porcelain tube. A spring of any suitable form, such as a coiled spring 26, is mounted in the porcelain tube between the end caps. The

spring should be of such length that it will, when not restrained extend into engagement with each of the end caps 20 and 22 and thereby electrically connect them.

In preparing the cut-out 17 for service, the

spring is compressed and held out of contact with the end cap 20 by means of an anchor wire '28, one end of which is flrmlyamxed to the end cap 22, and the other end of which is firmly affixed to one end of the spring by a fusible solder, as at 29. In practice, the spring should be compressed and anchored with its contact end approximately from of an inch to one inch away from the end cap 20. The solder should be of such a nature that it will readily fuse upon the occurrence of an electric arc across the end cap 20 and the contact end of the spring 26 and thereby release the spring to permit it to extend into contact with the end cap 20.

As a ready means for retaining the cut-out in its operative position in the circuit, I have provided a holder comprising an insulating member 31 with upwardly extending ends 32 and 33. In the end 32 of the holder is firmly aflixed a coiled spring 34 of cup shape with its open end extending inwardly in position to receive one end of the cut-out 17.

The end 3370f the holder is provided with a similar coiled spring of cup-shape that is adapted to receive the other end of the cut-out 17. By placing one end of the cut-out in the cupshaped spring 34 and compressing that spring slightly, the other end of-the cut-out may be disposed in the cup-shaped spring 33 so that it will be held in that position by the pressure of the springs. The ends'of the cup-shaped springs 34 and 35 extend through the ends 32 and 33 of the holder in position to connect to the circuit in which the cut-out is employed.

In operation, the cut-out is disposed in the parallel circuit between the terminals 11 and 12 of the tubes in such manner that, if a tube breaks down or fails in service, the voltage impressed upon the terminals of the cut-out will cause an arc to pass from the end cap 20 to the soldered end of the spring 26. The are will thereupon melt the fusible solder and thereby release the spring from the anchor wire 28. The spring, upon being released, will extend into contact with the end cap 20, thereby completing a parallel or shunt circuit around the defective tube to supply energy to the remaining tubes.

It should be noted that the fusing of the solder permits the spring to move forward toward the end cap 20 without passing through any of the solder or without deviating from its natural forward movement, and that the contact end of the spring, therefore, presents a clean contact surface to the contact surface of the end cap 20, thus providing a good electrical connection between the terminals of the cutout.

Therefore, it will be seen that I have provided an improved circuit for operating a plurality of gas filled luminous tubes disposed in series with each other, and an improved automatic cut-out for eliminating from the circuit any tube that becomes defective or otherwise fails in service, thereby protecting the remaining good tubes and the transformer employed in connection with them.

While I have illustrated and described only one specific embodiment of my invention, I realize that it is susceptible of other applications, and I do not desire to be limited to the precise construction illustrated and described.

I claim as my invention:

1. An electric cut-out comprising a tubular body of insulating material, a conducting cap mounted on each end of said tubular body, an extensible spring disposed in said tubular body in engagement with one cap and of sufficient length to engage the cap on the other end of the tubular body, an anchor mounted in one cap, and a fusible means directly connecting the anchor and the free end of the spring to restrain the spring until suificient electrical energy is impressed on the cut-out to cause the fusible means to release the spring into engagement with both caps.

2. An electric cut-out comprising a tubular body of insulating material, a conducting cap mounted on each end of said tubular body, an extensible spring disposed in said tubular body in engagement with one cap and of sufficient length to engage the cap on the other end of the tubular body, an anchor mounted in the body, a fusible means directly connecting the anchor and the free end of the spring to restrain the spring until sufficient electrical energy is impressed on the cut-out to cause the fusible means to release the spring into engagement with both caps, a frame, and a pair of cupshaped springs mounted in said frame in position to receive the capped ends of the cut-out whereby it may be readily mounted and dismounted in the'frame.

JOSEPH E. GROSS. 

